xv, 266 pp. Using fiction as a lens through which to view particular developments in the law, each of the essays in this book discusses a work of literary fiction - some classical (the tale of Ruth in the Bible, the fiction of Franz Kafka and Herman Melville, the plays of William Shakespeare), some modern (the post-September 11 fiction of William Gibson, Ken Kalfus, Claire Messud, Ian McEwan and Helen Schulman) - that concerns, directly or indirectly, the historical development of the law. This exploration of legal history through fiction pays particular attention to its relevance to our present circumstances and our growing concerns about terrorism and civil liberties.
Each essay considers the legal lessons about the fictional event or events at its core, lessons that tell us something worth remembering as we continue to chart law's evolution. These lessons, like those that may be found in all great literature, necessarily extend beyond the historical confines of the characters and plot and background of each story to embrace the modern condition - which, as these great stories suggest, is and always has been the only condition.
"These provocative, scholarly essays range from the Bible to a look at how tomorrow's technology may influence fundamental social organization with many startling stops in between - Lady Macbeth, Kafka, Napster and post 9/11 fiction to name a few. Friedman's choices help the reader view the transit of law and culture through novel, sometimes unforgettable, dimensions."
-- Michael Meltsner, Matthews Distinguished University Professor, Northeastern Law School and author of The Making of a Civil Rights Lawyer.
"The stories examined here brilliantly reflect worlds imagined by literature that speak to the modern condition: worlds steeped in law, worlds where law is refracted through complex orderings, and worlds where law seems virtually absent. All eloquently express the power of law to shape and unshape our realities within the modern condition.
The authors examine the law's role within a wide range of literary and historical texts. This volume remembers our deeply missed colleague George Dargo, and builds on his prolific examination of law in the context of biblical texts and the works of Herman Melville and Franz Kafka. Three of his elegantly written articles are included here. Lawrence Friedman's intricately researched essays reveal continuities, within the legal imaginary, between the novel at the height of its power in the nineteenth century and cutting-edge postmodern fiction in the post-9/11 world. Carla Spivack rounds out the volume with essays that take a fresh look at property rights and law, not normally viewed as the most scintillating of subjects. She engages in a fascinating exegesis of Shakespeare's Hamlet, and in her other articles provides bold insights from feminist, gender and queer studies. "
-- Tawia B. Ansah, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Professor of Law, FIU, College of Law.
LAWRENCE FRIEDMAN received his bachelor of arts in history from Connecticut College and holds law degrees from Boston College Law School and Harvard Law School. A member of the faculty at New England Law - Boston, he has written widely in the areas of constitutional law, national security law, and law and literature. His previous books include The Massachusetts State Constitution (with Lynnea Thody) and The Case for Congress: Separation of Powers and the War on Terror (with Victor Hansen).

The income gap between women and men has gotten plenty of attention in the last few decades: today women earn seventy-nine cents for every dollar med earn. But few people are aware of the much more serious gap: for every dollar in wealth men own, women own thirty-two cents. Wealth is what gives us a financial safety net when we lose our jobs, break up a relationship, become sick, or get hit by some other financial crisis. It enables us to build security, to give our children a future, and to retire. Wealth can generate income, whether through investments in the financial markets, or real estate, or through funding a startup business. Significant wealth even allows us to influence our world by allowing contributions to political campaigns or policy initiatives. The Savvy Women’s Guide to Property Law lays the blame for the gender wealth gap where it belongs—on the legal system—and helps women avoid the pitfalls that deprive them of their rightful share. Property laws disadvantage women at key stages of life. While treating men and women equally on its face, these laws play out in a discriminatory fashion because men and women are often not equal when it comes to income, career opportunities, and caregiving. Spivack explains how the legal system disadvantages women who are going through six difficult life events in which the distribution of wealth and property comes into play: Breaking up with someone they’ve cohabited with Negotiating prenuptial agreements Going through a divorce Surviving domestic and financial abuse Caring for an elderly or sick family member Outliving their spouse and inheriting part of their estate

For women and other marginalized groups, the reality is that the laws regulating estates and trusts may not be treating them fairly. By using popular feminist legal theories as well as their own definitions of feminism, the authors of this volume present rewritten opinions from well-known estates and trust cases. Covering eleven important cases, this collection reflects the diversity in society and explores the need for greater diversity in the law. By re-examining these cases, the contributors are able to demonstrate how women's property rights, as well as the rights of other marginalized groups, have been limited by the law.

For women and other marginalized groups, the reality is that the laws regulating estates and trusts may not be treating them fairly. By using popular feminist legal theories as well as their own definitions of feminism, the authors of this volume present rewritten opinions from well-known estates and trust cases. Covering eleven important cases, this collection reflects the diversity in society and explores the need for greater diversity in the law. By re-examining these cases, the contributors are able to demonstrate how women's property rights, as well as the rights of other marginalized groups, have been limited by the law.